Disney and Sony Pictures Make Movie Licensing Deal Bringing SPIDER-MAN & Marvel Films to Disney+

The Walt Disney Company and Sony Pictures Entertainment have announced a multi-year content licensing deal for the U.S. streaming and TV rights to Sony Pictures’ new theatrical releases.

The deal will bring Sony Pictures films across Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution’s vast platforms including its streaming services Disney+ and Hulu. The deal also includes networks such as ABC, Disney Channels, Freeform, FX, and National Geographic. 

This deal promises to bring Spider-Man and other Marvel properties to Disney+ starting with Sony’s 2022 release slate. The deal is said to cover theatrical releases from 2022-2026.

According to the press release, the partnership also grants rights to,

“a significant number of SPE’s iconic library titles, ranging from the Jumanji and Hotel Transylvania franchises.” It’s explained that this “gives Disney enormous programming potential across its platforms and makes them key destinations for a robust collection of Spider-Man films. Notably, the agreement provides Hulu access to a significant number of library titles beginning as early as this June.”

Chuck Saftler, head of Business Operations for ABC, Freeform, FX Networks, and Acquisitions in DMED’s Networks division, said in a statement:

“This landmark multi-year, platform agnostic agreement guarantees the team at Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution a tremendous amount of flexibility and breadth of programming possibilities to leverage Sony’s rich slate of award-winning action and family films across our direct-to-consumer services and linear channels. This is a win for fans, who will benefit from the ability to access the very best content from two of Hollywood’s most prolific studios across a multitude of viewing platforms and experiences.”

Keith Le Goy, president, Worldwide Distribution and Networks, Sony Pictures Entertainment added:

“This groundbreaking agreement reconfirms the unique and enduring value of our movies to film lovers and the platforms and networks that serve them. We are thrilled to team up with Disney on delivering our titles to their viewers and subscribers. This agreement cements a key piece of our film distribution strategy, which is to maximize the value of each of our films, by making them available to consumers across all windows with a wide range of key partners.”

This new deal has been announced on the heels of Sony’s deal with Netflix. Variety explains that the Disney deal covers subsequent TV windows, which means that the titles will land on Netflix first, about nine months after the start of a film’s theatrical run.

“Disney is scooping up for multiple platforms the windows previously reserved for ad-supported cable and broadcast airings of movies. The Netflix and Disney deals also run for the same license term.”

It’s also said that the,

“complex agreement is likely to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars to Sony over the term of the deal, which runs about six years in total given the lag time for Disney getting access to the movies. With Netflix and Disney deals combined, Sony is expected to rake in about $3 billion in movie licensing over the life of the deals.”